West Palm Beach hotel developers ask for another delay

WEST PALM BEACH — The developers of the proposed 75-foot, 108-room, waterfront Marriott “boutique hotel” that would go next to the Palm Harbor Marina have, for a second time, asked for a delay on a final city commission vote.

Last month, days before the vote, developers asked for a 2-week delay, to next Monday’s meeting. Now they’ve asked the item again be continued, to July 7, Mayor Jeri Muoio said Wednesday in her weekly news briefing.

When commissioners voted yes on the first of two votes on April 28, they warned developers they had a lot of questions before they’d consider a second and final vote.

Samuel Poole III, attorney for the developers, said Wednesday the reason for the request was the same as last time: they are trying to resolve differences with residents of the adjacent Waterview Towers, many of whom oppose the hotel in its current configuration.

“It looks like we’re making progress, so we’re going to continue those discussions and see if we can work something out,” Poole said.

The mayor said Wednesday, “I think they’re working toward a compromise that everybody’s going to be happy with.”

The family that owns the marina has said that, in 1979, the city had granted its Leisure Resorts a 99-year lease for both the marina and the hotel site, now a 91-space parking lot west of the marina and south of the 22-story Waterview Towers.

The family says that as part of the lease, votes equal to two-thirds of the units of Waterview would have to approve anything higher than 75 feet.

A legal challenge filed in April argues the plans violate the marina’s agreements with both Waterview and the city.